The Irish standard., 1887-05-21

ney from this part Of the coast 10 Gal
way is one of the most primitive kind
Starting from Carua at 1880 Il. m. the.
voyager is exceptional}y luck, tn reach
| Galway in time for t}.e clock train,
which lands you at the Brraistone ter
minus after 10 at night. tt is certainly
a grievance that the long car does not
start from {slifden q little eaI iiei' and
/; make the delays Oh the road shorter so
as to ALLOW the limited mail Which leaves.
the City Of the Tribes at 2:20 to be
caught, but the primitive SYSTEM Of
journpyiHg has survived in ConncMara
with all its ineonyeniencIes. 10 This
want of communication Wlt!l the outer
world is to be ascribe(s IN a great de
gree the backward condition OF the dis
irict aud tine inhabitants. For some
time past various schemes have been
proposed fov providing 4 railway from
Galway to Clifdea-the latest sches:le is
q line which is being promoted! 30 rNn
from Galway to Ueadfoot, and VIZ Cong
to yhfden. The people are anxious iol'
9 railway coming by any route. but The
pre;ouderance Of opinion would seem
10 te in favor OF line Though spidaai.
but not keeping all The way to the sea-
coast, the idea being to top The heads
of all the new harhors, SO as t., afford q
ready and q ;ap!d transit Tor fish to the
markets. Great energy was Il shoro
time since displayed III The promotion
OF a line from Galway by Ousiterarl
and Recess to Clifden. But in conse-
quence of the members OF tlle priVy
council beng of opinion that tiia bar,
onies guaranteeing q portion OF the
dividend under the ''tralnWays act''
were not able to bean the anlcipnted
burden: the line iu the promoiion Of
which some thousands Of ponnds was
expended WAS not sanctioned, althnugh
the then lord chancellor {;sir Edward
SUilivan} declared it to be q work of ma
tional Importance. Lord Carna:von,
who during the period Of his Yiceroyal-
ty visited the district. promised Isis ex-
ertions would be used to promote the,
line, bus the only way in which the Cor-
servatiye GoyernmeaJ propose TO iegis-
late for Connamara is in common with
The rest of ireland by means OF a jubi-
lee coercion act. A. great deal OF the
evidence adducea by tbs select commit
tee OH Irish industries had reference to
the resources Of COnneHlara aud their
development. Amongst nearly all the
witnesses there appeared to be q con-
census that the fisheries, as welt as
being the NEST neglected Of The re-
sources. promised the speediest and the
most lasting occupation for tie people
Beyond the isles Of Arran, which lie
outside the coast line, bordering Kill
ke1rin and Birterbuy bays, is d oank
which is stated by reliable authorities
to be one of the best fishing stations for
cod on the entire coast. To reach this
place with safety it would be berequisite to
have boats of from twenty-five to thir-
ty tons, as the waves along that part Of
the coast are nearly at all times high,
and rough weather is nearly the nor
NAL state Of matters atmospheric. 1ur-
bot is even with the rude appliances
which the fishermen have frequently
taken, while Dream, haddock> ling, cod,
hake, mackerel and pollock abound in
the waters Of the bays and in lie sea
outside. The creeks and inlets Of the
sea which run surprising distance III
land, are frequently filed with behring's,
nearly all of which, however, make
their way again to q safer distance
from the tracks of men. In Jle winter
seals visit the coast, and Up the creek
Of Kilsyleagh: across which the new
bridge has just been made, is "a favor
ite basking place for this animal. Very
large quantities of the finest Holsters
are raised on the coast, and owing to
this crustacea being the least perish
able species Of fish the people are en-
abled to keep then long enough with
safety to dispose Of them. For lob
sters the price the people receive aven-.
ages from about 3s. to SIS, 3D. a dozen.
Most of the fish are purchased by deal
ers who have agents close by, and by
whom the Holsters are sent 60 London
Mr.. Redmond, the present proprietor
of the comfortable Recess Hotel, tried
the experiment Of sending live Holsters
by parcel post, and was in receipt of
orders from all parts of the kingdom at
a remunerative price, when the postal
authorities declined TO permit the pas
sage of the Holsters by her nlajesty's
mails. The cost Of transit is the real
obstacle which prevents gigantic
trade being done in Holsters, as the
bays provide the best possible breeding
places for the fish, and the people
understand the trade, but the heavy
charges for conveyance prevent profit
being made. Oysters have been culti-
waited on the coast, but the custom is to
remove them after certain time to the
oyster beds at Clare, where they are
fattened. The Galway coast has, how